The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-29
PONTIUS THE GERMAN.
Facts to Prove That PLATE Was Not a
Roman.

sent YOU long leGUef nOln uhlS city anent
the old legend that Jesus Christ was cruel
fed by Germans in the army service of the
Romans. The truth of this assertion tried
to prove, first, by furnishing the most ex-
traordinary circumstantial evidence ever
introduced in this case; and, secondly. by
quotations from the works of historians.
The circunstantial evidence introduced
set forth the discovery of some old tomb
stones of Jewish soldiers, members of the
Twenty-second Roman Legion in the tower
of certain CASTLE Huelchrath, situated
about midway between Neuss, the old Ro-
man fortress, Novesium, and Juelich. a city
which was also founded by the Romans
under the name of JuliRum Castle Huelch-
rath is complication of old, middle-aged
and new buildings-that is to say, its oldest
part was erected during the reign of i'm
nerial Rome on the Rhine During the
middle ages some buildings were added to
make it n formidable fortress, and the pres
ent century is responsible for the more mod
ern annex.
Only the lower part of the tower is of
Roman origin, and that part is built of
heavy basalt stones intermingled with the
thin, long and peculiarly shaped bricks used
by the Romans, and serving as a kind of
mortar.
At about fifteen feet above the ground Or
rial, and continue as such to the top of the
tower, where large grayish stones protrude
in measured distances.
The latter are the tombstones in question
They have Hebrew characters inscribed on
one side, signifying that they once served to
decorate the graves of jewish Roman sol
diers stationed at Juliaum. As the lower
part of the Rhineland has very few stone
quarries, and as the old Germans were not
particularly In love with Jews and had no
regard whatever for their religion, the en-
Dlovment OF their graveStOneS for building
purposes does not seem very strange.
The stones are inscribed only with the
NAME the birthplace and the military sta
ton of the dead. For example: Abraham,
the son of Iesias from Gethsemane 22d Lee
gion, JuliRum." They bear no date proba-
bly, as the Jewish soldiers were not allowed
to employ their own chronology, while their
religion forbade them to use that of their
conquerors. But this omission is not so
very important, after ALL inasmuch as the
missing dates can be guessed at with a CON
siderable degree OF accuracy by the fact
that all the Roman coins found in Juliaum,
NoVesium and vicinity were coined in the
of the Roman Emperor TiberiuS, if not
bearing the likeness of Augustus.
1t is, therefore, evident that Jewish-Ro-
man legion occupied that part of Germany
at the time of the crucfxion of Christ
during the eighteenth year of Tiberius'
reign-and, Furthermore, that they left
their posts and forts shortly afterward never
to return again, as otherwise coins of later
date would have been found.
So far, so good.
But, hear you remark, the fact that a
legion of Roman soldiers recruited in Pales-
tine had been stationed on the Rhine during
the time of Christs crucitixion does not
prove that Qhinelanders We're doing service
in the Roman army at Jerusalem during
the same period.
Your point is well taken.
1t does not prove it, and it has never been
proven in direct way by anybody or by
anything before. The assertion that the
Romans had a system of exchanging soldiers
between two provinces III such way as to
send the recruits from a newly acquired
province-7Iin ,5this case Palestine-to an
older, more loyal one-in this case the left
bank of the Rhine-and vice versa, is of
course, merely circumstantial evidence.
Besides, it seems almost incredible that
this system should have been carried out to
such an extent rs to keep the soldiers of two
different provinces for a longer period in the
exact locations provided for them under this
system.
John Kitto, Heinrich Heine, Corvin, Err
nest RenAn and others say that the German
legion was at Palestine during the period of
our Lords persecution, and that soldiers
of this legion had been the executonerS of
Christ
Bat they fail to substantiate their asser-
ton by reference to contemporary history,
as did also in my communication on this
subject.
Since then have, however, made amends
for my former negligence, and consequent
ly am now prepared to elicit from the
he of nOSft e. and hon
assertions.
In his admirable book about the Germans
and the Roman-German wars this eminent
and always correct author says:
"Germanicus, with a chain of fortified
posts, secured the whole country between
Fort Also and the Rhine. At that time
Licambri dwelt between the River Luppia
now Lippel and the land occupied by the
Chattians" later ON called HessekaSSell
The first part of this sentence verities my
assertions in regard to the probable age Of
such Roman fortrcsseS as Juli9um and
NovcSium
Founded by Germanicus, Juliaum was
quite an old place for an army post in for
elgn country at tho time of Chrias cruel
fxion. Therefore it docs not appear strange
that the soldiers occupying this fort con-
sldered 1t their home md acted accordingly.
The erection of gravestones certainly is a
manifestation of the at-home feeling. Sol
oilers who are merely camping out III for
elgn, wild country are not likely to decorate
tho graves of their dead comrades in this
foreign country to any great extent If sol
dlers do such thing it may be inferred
tGut they have been stationed at the same
post for considerable time, and that they
expect TO remain whore they are.
The following from Tacitus also furnishes
additional proofs to the facts and assertions
stated above:
AT this time the thirteenth year of the
reign of Tibcrius," says the Roman histo-
flan "the two and twentieth legion sta
uoned on the left bank of the Rhine began
an Instruction; the ono and twentieth fol-
lowed their example.
'Disloyal as they We're, they said the time
had come when the army might redress
their grievances and retahate the cruelty of
the Roman centurions.
Their doctrine was that the fate of Rome
was in their hands,"
Tho word "Roman" coupled with ''centu-
rlons" gives evidence that the revolutionists
were foreigners.
From what country did these foreigners
come:
-. THIS question is not answered directly by
Tacitus; but. from the fact that nc does not
cal these foreigners 'barbarlans," as usual,
1t may be assumed that the legion was re-
crllitcd among the highly cultivated Jews
The language employed by the revolt
tlonlsts adds to that belief
"TheV mierlt redress their grievances.